Human Paradise
by Alley Cat Wolf 15
Summary: we may be wolves but we live as humans
1. Introduction

**AN: T****his is going to be a bit AU Things will not be like they are in the show.**

**The four main wolves of Wolf's Rain (Kiba, Toboe, Tsume and Hige) are brothers that live with their Mother and step Dad. They live normally as humans. They go to school, and all that. **

**Their human forms are not like they are in the show. unlike the anime where the human form if you touched them as humans you were still feel fur or if they grab something with a hand it really in their mouth, these human forms are, still not real but more 'solid' if you touched them when they looked human, you would feel skin. And they can grab, carry, use, things just like humans so they use 'hands' not their mouths. **

**Disclaimer- I do not own Wolf's Rain**

**On with the story:**

* * *

_** Introductions**_

It was just before dusk. The small family home on the corner of Market and Union was silent. The only person there now was a woman about in her mid-thirties. Her children were at their father's house this weekend. He should be dropping them off soon.

The sound of the front door being unlocked was heard fallowed by it creaking open as the children entered and the sound of the second to youngest son's preadolescent voice was heard. "Mom where home!" The curly, light-brown haired boy called as he dropped his overnight bag to the floor by the couch and went to the kitchen in search of something to eat. The others entered the house and went their separate ways.

Other than him, there were three other boys and a girl. One boy had reddish brown hair and big brown eyes he appeared to be the youngest of the boys. Then there was a boy who looked a bit older than the both the red headed boy and the light brown haired boy. This boy had brown hair as well but it was much darker, and his eyes where blue. The last of the boys looks to be the oldest out of everyone. His skin is slightly darker than his brothers, his eyes are golden and his hair of grayish white was kept in a small ponytail.

Then there was the girl. She was younger than any of the boys. Her hair was just above shoulder length and was a beautiful shade of reddish pink, her eyes matching.

"I'm in the back room dear!" A woman, obviously the mother of the bunch, called back to her children "I'll be up in a little while, after I finish cleaning up." She paused and with a laugh is said, "Dinner is already all made up, and it's in the fridge so help yourselves no need to wait for me!" She knew her children all too well. "Kevin will be working late tonight so he won't be home till later, be sure to leave him some."

As the light-brown hair boy got himself a plate of food, The red headed boy went up to the room he shared with him. He pulled a new notebook out of his overnight bag, which he had placed by the closet, and then he went over to a desk that was pushed over to the corner of the room.

He grabbed a pen from the cup that was filled with pens and pencils then he opened up the notebook and began to write.

* * *

'_**June 30 - Entry 1- A new journal.**_

_HI journal - this is kinda wired to say…I don't know if I'll make the greeting a normal thing but this is my first time writing a journal so I'm doing it this time._

_Here I go:_

_So I got this new journal. My dad bought for me while I was over his house this weekend. It's the first weekend in summer and I have nothing to do so I guess should probably introduce myself and all that other good stuff. _

_My name is Toboe, I am ten years old, I have three older brothers and a younger sister. My brothers' names in order from oldest to youngest are Tsume, Kiba and Hige. They are fourteen, thirteen and twelve. Our sister's name is Cheza and she is eight years old. She will be turning nine on July 3rd. _

_We all live with our mom and step-dad Kevin in the city of Junehill, Pennsylvania. Our dad lives in Paveway, New Jersey. Unlike mom he is not yet remarried, and lives alone. Not counting his cat Casper. Casper usually hides when any of us visit, I don't know why but I don't mind it. Cats always kinda creep me out, Tsume and Hige tease me about it sometimes._

_We kids go up to see him often enough, I suppose for how long of a drive Paveway is from Junehill. It's about a good two and a half hour drive from here. We go and spend every other weekend with him and every major holiday. We also spend about a week or so with him in July._

_It has been this way for as long as I can remember. I think was only about four when they got a divorce. None of us really remember how things where before then. We were all really young then .Except maybe Tsume who was eight years old at the time. However, I doubt I will ever hear him talk about it. He hates to think about back then. None of us like to talk about the fact that our parents are divorced anyway but he is the worst of us, almost getting angry if one of us brings it up around him. Anyhow, we are all use to it by now. Next month will make about six years of it like this. It's just how our life is; we do not think anything of it. '_

* * *

His writing was interrupted when his brother came bursting into the room. The older boy went and sat on his bed legs crisscrossed with a plate of warm pasta and chicken sitting in his lap as he grabbed the remote and flipped on the TV. "So, what are you doing there runt?" Hige asked between bites of his meal.

Toboe look up at his older brother and shrugged "Nothing much just writing in the new notebook dad brought me."

"What are you writing?" Hige mumbled with a mouthful of food.

"Nothing interesting… you'd probably make fun of me if I told you..." Toboe stated, it was obvious he was nervous to tell his brother that he was starting a journal.

"I wouldn't do that…..much…." Hige reassured.

Toboe hesitated but decided to tell Hige anyway, he was his older brother after all. He knew Toboe just as well as he knew himself, he was the one Toboe came to for help or comfort about anything and even if he did tease Toboe it wouldn't be that long till he got bored with it.

"I'm going to start a journal." Toboe admitted.

Hige let out a laugh "Why would you want to that?"

Toboe ignored the laugh and shrugged "I don't know I just want to I guess. Besides I got nothing better to do anyway." He said with a smile.

Hige laughed as he stood up, his plate now empty. He as he went to go get seconds he stopped by Toboe and put him in a brotherly headlock. "You're something else, you know that kid?" He laughed as he let him go and ruffled his hair. Smiling he left, heading for the kitchen.

"I'm not a kid! I'm only two years younger than you!" Toboe laughed getting up and heading down the steps to get some food for himself.

"You're younger than me so you're a kid!" Hige shouted already downstairs.

"Whatever you say Hige!" Toboe laughed as he came down the stairs and entered the kitchen.

Toboe made himself a plate of the chicken and pasta as Hige warmed up his own food in the microwave. Toboe had his plate ready to go into the microwave just as Hige's food was done, Hige took his food out, got a can of root beer from the fridge then made his way back to the room.

Toboe put his food in and set the microwave for a minute and thirty five seconds. He poured himself a glass of freshly made lemonade while he waited.

When the microwave beeped to signal the time was over, Toboe pulled the door open and took his now warm plate full of food. Unlike Hige, he will not go eat upstairs in their room.

Their Mother did not like it when they ate or drank things in their rooms; she said that it only helped dirty and stain any blankets, sheets and in Hige's unfortunate case the carpet. Therefore, it was a house rule that they were not allowed to eat thing in their rooms unless they were given permission to do so. However, they all knew better than to ask because mother would just about always say 'no'.

Hige never listened to this rule and broke it constantly no matter what, and on rare occasions only when mother was not, home to catch them doing it Tsume and Kiba might break it as well. Toboe didn't know if his sister fallowed the rule or not but he always saw her eating somewhere other than her room , he never saw her in her room eating and she always followed the rules so he amused she never broken it before just like him.

So with that rule in mind Toboe went and sat down at the table that was in the small kitchen.

When he was done with his meal, he put his dirty dishes in the sink, after he made sure they were rinsed off so nothing would harden on them. Then he made his way back up to his bedroom.

The house was not that big but it was bigger than most houses in the area. It had a basement but it wasn't finished it was all musty and damp. Then the first floor had a living room, dining room ,a bathroom, and the kitchen. Upstairs they had a bathroom and five bedrooms. One belonged to their parents then Cheza had her own room, Tsume and Kiba shared a room, then Hige and Toboe shared the fourth one.

The last room was a spare that was used for guests but Tsume was currently trying to convince their parents to let him have it as his own room, because him and Kiba both needed their own space and he was to old in his opinion to share a room with his younger brother. The two oldest boys did seem to argue and fight a lot. Toboe thought that it would be good for them it have their own rooms.

Toboe did not mind sharing a room, Hige was not a bad roommate. The two boys got along well. Toboe would never admit it but when he had nightmares he was happy that someone of so close by, and Hige was the one that would comfort him the best, and out of all his older brothers Hige was the one who would not tell the others about it.

Toboe entered his room and glanced over at his brother, who was asleep stretched out on the bed half eaten plate of food resting on top of his stomach. The snoring boy was still in his day clothing and was not even under the blankets of the messy unkempt bed.

With a sigh and a quiet laugh, Toboe went over and placed the plate from his brother's stomach to the nightstand table next to his bed to prevent it from falling to the floor or onto the bed and making a big mess.

Once the task was done, Toboe went to his desk, sat down and began to finish his thoughts.

* * *

'_We maybe wolves but we still live our lives as humans. We are not even able to drop our human illusion and become are true wolf selves until we are older. Tsume already can. He has been able to for about two years now, Kiba can also but he has only be able to for about six months…maybe a year. _

_Hige and I have yet to be able to do it. Hige should be getting the ability to do so soon. He is old enough after all. He is twelve going on thirteen. His birthday is in early August._

_I am still too young. I have a year or two still to go until I am older enough and even then I might not be able to do for at least another year. I will be eleven in the spring of next year since this spring just passed. April 20this my birthday to be exact. _

_Wolves cannot drop the human cloak and become their real selves until after they reach puberty. That's just how it is, the way wolves' bodies work._

_I do not mind right now but once Hige is able to change, I will be the only one of us boys who can't drop form._

_In fact, I'll be the only one of us siblings that has yet to be able to change because Cheza was adopted from the humans. She as far as we all know is human._

_I'll try not to let it get to me, I mean it will happen to me some day in the near future so there is nothing to be upset about._

_That's about it for now, I don't know if I will get a chance to write again or if I will want to but for now I plan to. I think this was a good first journal entry so later from_

_- Toboe'_

* * *

When Toboe was done with his journal entry he signed his name at the bottom, put his pen down and decided to put his journal away somewhere safe.

He slipped it into the bottom draw of his desk, then stood up and stretched. He flipped the switch for the room's light so the TV was the only light in the room. How Hige slept with the light or noise Toboe would never know. It was even more puzzling when he knew for a fact that his brother was one of the world's lightest sleepers.

With a shrug about his brother's unusually sleeping habits he like always went to get ready for bed, Toboe slipped off his red t-shirt then made his way across the room to his dresser. Pulling out a pair of black sweat pants. He pulled off his old blue jean that where hand-me-downs from Hige who had gotten them from Kiba and Kiba in turn at one point got them from Tsume. If Toboe remembered right, this pair was Tsume's when he was about elven.

Most of his clothing was hand-me-downs from his three brothers. One of the disadvantages of being the youngest boy in the house is the he rarely saw new shirts or pants of his own. The only new thing clothing wise that he got on a regular basis was underwear and socks. Shoes he got new on rare occasions, but for the most part he shared with his brothers. They all took the same size currently. In the past, if it was hand-me-downs or new ones if he was not anywhere near the size shoe of any of his brothers.

Once Toboe had, his jeans off he tossed them off to the side, not caring where they landed and pulled on his sweat pants. These where somewhat new, being only a few years old they were not hand-me-down s like most of his others, these where a Christmas gift from his dad a few years back.

One he was dressed for bed he went left the room to go across the hall to the bathroom to brush his teeth before bed. Once he brushed his teeth, he left the bathroom he went down the hall to say good night to Kiba and Tsume, who stayed up late, then on his way back to his room checked on his sister. She may not be their biological sister but they all loved and cared for her as if she was. They were all protective over her

Glancing in her room, he saw that Cheza was sound asleep. With a smile, he slowly and quietly pulled her door shut. He then made it back to his own room. He shut the TV off, and then made himself comfortable in the bed. Once comfy he closed he eyes, ready for his night's rest.

As much as he liked being over his dad's house it always tired him out. He could not get good sleep there. He didn't know about his siblings but he was happy to finally be home after a long weekend. Today was pretty long too, them not getting home till late.

No of the kids had unpacked their things yet. The only thing to leave Toboe's travel back was his new journal.

Tomorrow will definitely be filled with unpacking and most likely meeting up with friends that they haven't seen since school let out and then went to their dad's to start off summer. With those thoughts of tomorrow in his mind, the human looking pup fell asleep for the night a smile on his face because of his pleasant dreams. He was in a long deep sleep.

He would not wake until elven thirty the next morning.

* * *

**AN: Hope you enjoyed it. Please review! The next 'chapter' will be coming soon.**


	2. breakfast

**An: here is the next part! **

**I received a question via email. They wanted to know if Blue is going to be in this story. The answer is yes. But I don't know when. She'll be mentioned in this one but I have yet to decide and write later parts of this so I don't know when Blue will be in it, but I do know I am going to include her so keep your eyes open in the future. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Wolf's Rain (what a surprise! right? XD) **

_**Breakfast**_

Breakfast time was always one of the most hectic time of the day for the family. Just because it was summer and the kids did not get up until eleven or even noon did not mean that breakfast was any less hectic, even if it was more of brunch or lunch by the time everyone was awake and at the table.

During the school year, everyone is up and eating(when they felt like having breakfast) by six thirty and out the door by seven but during the summer time, just about everyone is on their own schedules.

With both Mother and Kevin working early shifts most weekdays, the siblings were left to do things on their own.

Tsume usually got up the earliest, despite staying up the latest. Not being one to eat when he first gets up he does not usually eat until later when the others are up. Then he leaves the house until curfew, which for him was set at seven thirty pm on weekends and during the summer, and seven weekdays during the school year. He spent his days with friends.

Kiba is the same way. However, he rarely eats at home; he leaves the house early and got home late. He meets up with Hige later in the day and they go walking down town. Going from store to store, place to place just walking around aimlessly, talking about anything the wanted. They were usually on the lookout for girls, More Hige than Kiba but both kept their eyes open and jumped at any chance to flirt.

Toboe always slept in late whenever he was allowed. He would eat as soon as possible once he was awake, then he tended to stay at home and relax until the evening when it was cooler, then he'd go walking around town. Sometimes he would go to a friend's house to hang out or help his friend Steve babysit his younger siblings.

Hige has a tendency to sleep in the latest out of all the brothers.

He would eat then meet up with Kiba. Hige was the one who was the most on the lookout for someone to flirt to. He would never admit it but he'd would take the neighbor girl over all the girls any day. He has had a crush on her since they were little kids. Her name was Blue. They have not had anything together yet but Hige wished to date her someday.

Cheza was up early and went to bed early as well. She spent her days at the park just enjoying the outdoors.

It was almost eleven when Toboe got up that morning. He found it strange that Hige was not in bed, since he always slept so late, but other than that, it seemed to start off just like any other but that would soon prove false.

He made his way to the kitchen and dining area. When he heard laughing. It became louder as he got closer.

Once he got to the kitchen he was caught off guard at what he was meet with.

Hige was standing in front of the counter covered in what appeared to be some kind of batter, the counter, walls behind it and the mixing bowl and mixer that sat on top of it were all just as covered in it as Hige was.

Lucky the mess seemed to be isolate to only that area…well as long as you did not count the foot pints that lead from where Hige was to the sink and paper towels. Other than the foot pints and explosion like batter covered counter, walls and Hige everything else was clean.

On the other side of the kitchen Cheza sat at the table on her knees, she was laughing her head off along with a chuckling Hige. Cheza rested her arms on the table over lapping each other, and her head nestled on top as she tried to catch her breath, before she began to laugh and sinker once more.

"Uh…what's going on?" Toboe asked his brother in an uncertain tone.

"Cheza wanted Pancakes for breakfast." Hige said between chuckles. "And like a good big brother I decided to make some for her, since she's still too young for Mom to let her use the stove!" He continued.

"Hige, you're not allowed to use the stove either!" Toboe said who now had a smile across his lips as well. "And for you it's not because of your age! Remember all that smoke the last time you used the stove?"

Hige shrugged "Eh…well you know…" he said still chuckling.

"So…How did you make such a mess to begin with?" Toboe asked as he made his way to the table where he took a seat next to his sister, who was no longer laughing but amusement still shined and danced along over her facial features.

"It all started when that hand held mixer right there slipped from Hige's hand." Cheza stated with a giggle as she pointed towards the counter with the mixer.

"When it slipped batter went all over the place, including on me. But most of it got on me so the main mess is only right here." Hige continued, waving his hands and arms around to point at each batter covered place and thing as he mentioned it.

"And the footprints….?" The younger boy asked.

"A fail attempted at cleaning up" the other two kids answered in unison.

Despite the mess, the current situation seemed to have gotten everyone in a good mood anyway.

"Ah." Toboe laughed nodding his head in understanding. "Need help I take it then?" He asked. The other siblings nodded as Toboe got up to fetch cleaning supplies.

He returned a few minutes later with the supplies in hand. Cheza and him set to work cleaning up the mess. While Hige went to change and get himself cleaned up.

Once he was clean, he too went to work helping the two youngest clean up the pancake batter like gunk of a mess that he had created.

"So were Tsume this morning? He doesn't usually leave the house till everyone else is up." Toboe asked.

"He's smart he got outta here as soon as he could once he saw I was attempting to make pancakes." Hige replied with a shake of his head.

Toboe chuckled.

It was going on noon by the time the whole mess was cleaned. The three took a step back admiring their work. It took longer than expected for them to clean it due to it not only being layered and thick, but it was also dried onto most of the surfaces by the time they started.

No one was sure what it was that made it harden so quickly or get so thick but it did. None of that mattered now that it was cleaned up and the whole kitchen smelled of artificial citrus and other cleaning chemical scents.

They were all hungry by then not only had they have yet to eat today but it's not like all that clean did anything to help. It only made them hungrier.

The three settled on a lunchmeat sandwich each, over anything else. It was the quickest and easiest thing they had, plus since noon was more of a lunch hour then a breakfast, a lunch food like sandwich seemed like a good choice.

They each made their own before finding their way to the kitchen table. Toboe and Cheza made turkey sandwiches with mayo. Toboe also had a slice tomato on his. Hige got himself a ham sandwich with provolone cheese.

"So what were you doing up so early Hige? How long were you up before I came down?" Toboe asked curiously between bites.

Hige shrugged as he swallowed what was in his mouth before answering "I don't know I just couldn't sleep I guess. I came down around ten, well maybe more like ten-thirtyish either way It was around then that Cheza came down wanting pancakes and well you know the rest." He laughed, taking another bite of his sandwich.

Toboe nodded his head in acknowledgement to Hige's words as he bit into his sandwich once more.

"So what do you guys have planned for the rest of the day?" Hige asked with his mouth full. Not bothering to take a second to swallow before he said anything. The others didn't seem bothered by this because even if it was gross Hige has been doing it pretty much his whole life and everyone was use to it.

"In a few minutes I have to go over to Steve's house , I promised him and his mom that I would help him look after Edward and Payton." Toboe replied as he finished eating.

Steve is one of Toboe's good friends and he was a year old than Toboe at elven years old. Edward and Payton are Steve's four year old brother and sister twin terrors. Steve had to babysit his siblings often due to his mom being single as well as always working.

Steve often enlisted the help of Toboe and his other friend because of how much of a handful the twins were.

Hige gave his younger brother a sympathetic look; he knew what the twins were like. "Hope you don't get finger paint in your hair this time bro." Toboe only nodded.

"How bout' you Cheza? How you spending the rest of your day?" Toboe asked.

His sister looked up at him with a smile. "At Mt. Barren park, there is a new walking trail there that was just opened been wanting to check it out since it opened. " She answered.

Her brothers nodded. "Not really my kinda thing, but guessed you'll enjoy it right?" Hige asked finishing off his sandwich. She nodded.

"Have fun Cheza!" Toboe said.

"Thanks Toboe. Your day doesn't seem as bright as mine but I wish the best for you too."

"Thanks, but I doubt it." He replied. "Okay Hige we told you what we have planned now what about you?" Toboe asked looking up at the clock to see how much time he had before he had to leave.

"I'm going to go walking around downtown, maybe meet up with Kiba." Hige answered. Toboe looked at him.

"Maybe? You always meet up with Kiba." He said with a smile. "Well I got to get going see you all later, I should be back from Steve's around four." Toboe added as he got up to leave.

"See ya tonight bro." Hige replied while Cheza waved.

"Bye guys!" Toboe called over his shoulder as he left the house. "See you later!" He waved over his shoulder as he headed towards Steve's house. He only lived about a block away so it wasn't a far walk.

He was not looking forward to help watch the twins again, last time he helped Steve babysit Edward and Payton, Edward put finger paint in his own hair, his sister's hair and Toboe's hair. Payton just splattered it all over the walls and floors. Thankful there was no carpet in the house only hardwood and tile, but the mess was still a nightmare for Toboe and Steve.

With a sigh Toboe continued on his way to Steve's.

It was going to be a long day he could tell…after all look how breakfast went.

**AN: Find out what happens the rest of the day in the next chapter.**

**Hope you enjoyed it. Please review! Thanks to who reviewed the last chapter.**

**You can see a preview of the next chapter (as well as other works in progress, stories not posted any were else, and more) at my livejournal KibaTsume.**


	3. Lessons

**AN: Here is the next part. Hope you like it. This is a long one :) **

_**Lesson**_

Toboe got to Steve's house only a few minutes after he had left his own home. The screams and war cry like calls rang from the house scared him. Great the twins were not only awake but also very energetic. Every hope he had for a peaceful after noon was just thrown under a bus.

He knew he was going to have to clean up mess after mess and after the breakfast explosion his older brother made this morning the last thing he wanted to do was clean up any messes.

He climbed the steps up to the front door and rang the doorbell. Steve appeared a little bit later, hair a mess with all kinds of things stuck in and to it. His arms were also covered in marker. From where Toboe stood, he could see crayon on the back wall and Edward and Payton running around like mad people.

"Thanks for coming man" Steve's voice was flooded with relief.

Toboe nodded "…Yeah no problem dude…you know you can always count on me to help out."

With that the door closed behind him and the two boys head to the middle of the living room were the twin terrors were now running with paint flying all over the place.

There was a small argument when the boys tried to get the paint away that ended in the four year olds screaming and crying their heads off. This meant the boys now had to calm the toddlers down before they, and most likely the neighbors as well all got major headaches.

It didn't take long before the twins were happy and running about once more.

Toboe and Steve each took a sigh of relief, before they had to go stop and clean up whatever mess Edward and Payton were currently making.

Toboe was happy that there were not toddlers living in his house, sure him and his siblings make plenty of messes but at least they clean up after themselves for the most part…that and they weren't tossing finger paint every which way.

Toboe was so glad when Steve's mother came home and therefore relived the boys from babysitting duty. He said his good bye to Steve then started his way home.

It was going on four when he entered the house, it was quite no one else was home. He smiled he enjoyed having the house all to himself. He was covered in markers, paints, and whatever else the twins go their hands on that after noon.

He headed straight to his room where he got a change of clean clothes before heading to the bathroom to take a well-needed shower.

Hige left soon after Toboe. Downtown was about a fifteen-minute walk. Hige was use to the walk and it wasn't that bad, it was mostly all flat ground and there was lots of shade to walk under during the hotter days of summer.

He was at his destination soon. The downtown was bustling with activity, everyone going for place to place and in every direction imaginable.

He walked up and down the various streets of the area, in search of some girls to flirt with. He was already slapped three times, yelled at twice and rejected several times counting the ones so yelled and slapped him. He had only been downtown for not even twenty minutes. He like usual was not having any luck.

It didn't really matter to him, though because there was really only one girl he wanted, Blue, and some day he hoped that they would be together.

He gave up the hunt for a girlfriend and went to look for his older brother Kiba instead.

He succeed in finding him only a quick while later.

"Hey Kiba!" He called out to his brother.

The dark haired boy turned around to look in the direction in which he had heard his name called. "Hige, What's up?" He asked as his brother walked towards him.

The younger boy shrugged. "Nothing much, just the usual."

"I can see that by the red mark on your face," Kiba countered with a laugh. "Better hope it doesn't leave a bruise or anything you know how Mom feels about you going around downtown flirting." The older of the two said this time in a serious tone. All laughing and joke now set aside for the time being.

But the other boy just merely shrugged. "Eh well can't win em' all." He laughed, rubbing at the red spot on his cheek almost in an absentminded short of way.

The two boys continued to walk down the sidewalk that was lined with stores. They didn't have enough money on them or at all for that matter to buy some of the things in the stores but once in a while they would save up to buy sweets and treats like candy, chips, soda, or even a slushie from one of the many continent store that seemed to be all over the place.

Hige and Kiba continued to walk around aimlessly no real destination in mind, and with no money for any treats, all they could do is window shop, stopping to stare into the windows of various stores to see what was for sale. Looking in on all the latest video games and playing consoles for sale.

They had two different consoles at home one of which was a bit older therefore outdated but the other was pretty much band new; it was a top of the line, and could even be played as motion control game instead of with a controller they could use their bodies as the controller.

The family also had a fair share of games to play on the two consoles. The stack of games was kept on a small bookshelf that was about half the size of a regular bookshelf. The games filled the book self and were starting to pile up on top of the bookshelf now.

Every gift giving holiday or a birthday at least on video game as given as a gift, plus the kids often saved up their money each chip in a little so they could buy a game.

More than half of the fights between the siblings started over games, who could play what, who owned what, or what game to play.

The boys would stare into the window and chat about what the newest games were about and what they heard about how good each was. They then made plan on which ones to buy when they found a way to pay of them.

Kiba and Hige they continued on their journey through downtown. Stopping once more, this time at the candy store.

Staring into to display as the leaned and pressed themselves up against the glass. Mouths watering as they looked at all the different kinda of candies.

They talk amused about all the kinds of candy they liked.

Kiba glanced over at his younger brother, and his eyes widened just as he figured, the red mark on Hige's cheek had turned into a big discolored purplish patch of skin: yup it was a bruise.

"Hige" Kiba's amused tone from earlier now nothing serious.

Hige looked over at his big brother when he heard the seriousness in his voice. "What?" his usual childish tone now serious as well.

"Your cheek." The thirteen year old motioned towards his younger brother's right cheek. Hige gave him a confused look before he slowly raised his hand and gently touched his cheek. "Hu ah shhhhhh OW OW. Is it…bruised?" He hissed his question in pain. Most of his words that slipped from his mouth where incoherent. The only things his brother could made out was 'ow' and him asking if his cheek was bruised.

Kiba nodded. "Yeah bro your cheek is bruised…it's bad to…it's like your whole cheek...Ma's goanna be upset…she hates it when we get hurt…then she'll want to know how you got it, that mean she's goanna get angry"

"oh man what are we going to do?"

"we? You mean you" Kiba stated.

"No I mean we, I mean you are my big brother and big bros look after their younger siblings and keep them safe! Plus Mom knows that you and me hang out together downtown almost every day, so she'll assume you were with me when it happened no matter what we say!" Hige said anxious and scared as he speed though his words as fast as he could fly them from his lips.

He paused quickly for a breath the he started once more." You're in deep as I am brother! Come on Kiba what are we going to do!" he continued. "Please tell me?" he look into his brother's eye searching for an answer.

Kiba just shook his eyes, "I don't know Hige, I just don't know but we'll think of something we got plenty of time before curfew. And even then it will be some time before Mom or Kevin gets home." Kiba said staying calm, as he reassured his brother.

Kiba and Hige started their journey home, the whole way thinking what they were going to do about the bruise. The brothers were at a lost. When they were, only a few blocks from home Hige begged his question once more. "What are we going to do, Kiba?" He paused as he stopped walking to lock his worry filled brown eyes with his brother's brilliantly blue ones, which shared the same anxious worried look.

"You said we were going to figure out something, but we're almost home and have yet to think of any good plans!" the younger boy called out as he started walking once more, staring down at his feet as he did so.

"I know what I said, don't worry I think I've got a good idea now, but let's just get home first alright?" stated the older boy rather calmly.

To think all of this over a bruise, but if mother found out that Hige got it while out flirting again she'll be furious with him. She didn't like the idea of the boys going around flirting. Especially Hige, since he was not even a teen yet. He was still just a preteen at twelve years old.

She said they were still young. To wait until they were at least fifteen or sixteen to even consider a girlfriend. Though she was flexible with that rule, Tsume has been dating since he turned thirteen.

Rubbing his cheek Hige was deep in thought. 'Maybe mom's right' he considered to himself. After all if he wasn't too young why was he abused by girls all the time? Maybe he should go after those his own age instead of teens who are a few years old than himself? Hige did not know, he wasn't sure about any of it, not that he'd say it out loud it would crush his reputation.

He looked up as the front gate of the home came into view. He made his way down the steps that lead to the walk way , and the front porch. Then steered himself up the other set of steps to the front door.

He jingled the knob to see if it was locked or not. Upon determining it wasn't locked, he turned it all the way to let himself and Kiba into the house.

Good thing too, he had forgotten his key this morning and Kiba lost his a while back. With both boys keyless he did not know what they would do if it was locked.

As the boys entered the home, Kiba instructed for Hige to go sit down while he went to find some things.

Hige did as he was told and made a beeline towards the sofa.

Kiba headed up stairs and to Mom and Kevin's room. He searched around trying to find what he was looking for. He found it on mom's nightstand, he grab it and headed back down stairs.

"Alright Hige look up, and turn your head over that way." Kiba said pointing to the left as he walked over to the right of his brother. Now he had a full view of Hige's hurt cheek.

"What are you going to do?" Hige muttered as he turned his head the way he was told.

"Hold still…I'm goanna cover it up with some of Ma's makeup"

"WHAT? Yeah …uh no you're not!" Hige shouted pulling away.

"Come on Hige it's the best I've got, unless you can think of something better just hold still!"

With a sigh and skeptical glare, Hige obeyed.

By the time Toboe got out of the shower, he was no longer alone in the home; Kiba and Hige were there, making loud commotion from the living room. What Toboe mainly heard was Hige's complaints and whining. About what, Toboe had no idea.

He found his way to the living room only to find Kiba rubbing some type of makeup onto Hige's cheek.

"Um…what are you doing?" he asked his brothers looking at them with a confused stare.

"Uh…um...Oh…Nothing…." Hige stumbled over his words. Kiba was a little more calmer.

" Toboe, don't worry about what we're doing alright? "

"But I'm curious I just wanna know, please?"

"Will you be willing to keep a secret from Mom and Kevin for us? Can you do that?" Kiba questioned.

Toboe looked at him. "…What are you guys doing that you don't want Mom and Kevin knowing about? I can keep a secret but…I don't like the idea of keeping things from them." The youngest boy replied.

"Don't worry Toboe, It's nothing too bad I promise, now will you keep a secret? Otherwise you can leave."

Toboe was quite for a moment as if thinking it over. But eventually he nodded. "Okay fine, I'll keep a secret now tell me what is going on here? Kiba why were you putting makeup on Hige?" The child questioned.

Kiba sighed. The kid never lets up does he? Oh well might as well tell him, they could only hope that he kept his word and didn't tell Mom or Kevin.

"You know how Mom feels about Hige flirting, yet he does it anyway?" Kiba asked. Toboe nodded.

"Okay well earlier today he did just that, and he it would seem said something one of the girls didn't take to well and she decided to slap him. Apparently, it was hard because it left a bruise. I was putting makeup on Hige to hide the bruise so Mom won't see it, got it?" Kiba continued.

Once more Toboe nodded.

Kiba and Hige hoped that he would keep the secret.

"So what did you say Hige?" the youngest boy questioned.

"Well actually it was more of what I did…heh girls don't like it when you lift up their skirts...after you say 'hey baby do you clean your panties with Windex because I can see myself in them.' Or after the slap you the first time say 'oh baby no need for that now , you wanna see what's hanging?'…..after all that she slapped me again even harder" Hige said rubbing the back of his head and neck as an embarrassed smile crept onto his face.

Mom got home from work about six thirty. Kevin got in shortly after. By seven the family was sitting down for dinner.

"So how was your day everyone?" She asked her children.

"I spent it helping babysit Edward and Payton." Toboe answered.

Mother nodded, " sounds like your day was busy" She said moving to the next person at the table.

"It was a fun day, the new path at Mt. Barren is really nice. Flowers all over.." Cheza explained. Mother smiled.

"That's nice sweetie , Kiba how about you honey how was your day?"

"It was alright. I spent it downtown." Kiba replied simply.

Mother nodded as she turned he attention to her oldest son. "Tsume?"

"It was okay, I spent my day with Lianna mostly" Lianna is Tsume's girlfriend. They have been going out since a few days after Tsume's thirteenth birthday.

"That's nice hon, how's she doing? I haven't seen her in a while." Mother asked.

"She's doing good, her family is going on a vacation later this week to some place in New York."

"Ah well that's very nice." She said smiling , she then looked towards Hige. "And you Hige?"

Hige froze, first he made a mess which he did clean up but it wasted whatever he put into the batter , then second was his cheek…it wasn't the best day for him even though he did have a few laughs.

"Something wrong sweetie?" Mother asked. Hige remained still, in a daze.

"Hige you alright kiddo?" Kevin asked.

"….What….?" he asked slowly coming out of his daze somewhat.

"Are you feeling okay? Your mother asked you how your day was but you seem out of it"

"huh? Oh ...yeah I'm...just fine…my day was good…Spent it downtown" Hige answered

"You sure you're feeling alright honey?" Mother asked getting up from her seat at the table, and walking over to Hige, she placed a hand on his forehead. "You don't feel warm or hot." She said as she slid her hand down to his cheek.

He froze once more, and she paused. "Hige? What's this?...is this makeup?" She asked as he rubbed her finger over his cheek. He flinched as she touched his sore cheek. "Why do you have makeup on your cheek?"

Hige remained silent. "Hige, why is your cheek covered in makeup?" Mother asked once more, but more firm this time.

Kiba and Toboe froze as well.

"Alright come on let's get that off your face, this instant." Mother said pulling Hige to his feet and pulling him by his upper arm over to the sink. She wetted a paper towel started cleaning the makeup off his face.

"Ah, hey come on no need to remove it! Ow! Mom stop please it's sore." Hige cried out as he tried to tug away from her.

She paused. "Your cheek it's bruised! How did this happen?"

Hige remained silent.

"Hige, what were you up to today?" She asked.

He was still silent.

"Hige…." Her tone was now more firm.

"Nothing Ma…I wasn't doing anything I wasn't suppose to!"

"mmhhh." Was all she said as she turned back to the table, look at each of her other children. "Alright, out with it. If any of you know what happened today tell me now."

Kiba and Toboe gave each other a glance before looking over to Hige.

Mother look at the each one, her eyes resting on Kiba. "Kiba, you were downtown today as well so surely you know what happened to your brother?" Both her tone and stare made it seem as if she already knew that Kiba knew about Hige's cheek.

Mother's instinct or something like that is what he figured.

He sighed. If he did not say it Toboe would anyway that he was sure of. "I wasn't there when it happened but he told me that he was flirting again, and one girl slapped him. When I did see him later today, he had a red mark on his cheek which turn into that bruise…..and then…" He sighed once more, it's never fun being in the hot seat.

"And?" Mother pressed.

"And then when we got home….I tried to hide it by covering it up with some of your makeup….I'm sorry Ma really….but it's just a bruise…" Now he just began to babble and trail off. It was obvious he felt bad about to whole thing, but he was not the one that got bruised doing something Mother told him not to do.

Whatever trouble he was in Hige was probably in for worst. That thought ran through Kiba's mind.

"I see, well then." She looked at her other three children "I hate it when you eat in your rooms but, Just this once please go and finish your dinners up stairs please Kevin and I need to talk to Hige and Kiba alone." She said. With that Toboe, Tsume and Cheza rose to their feet and with their plates in hand, headed for their rooms.

"Sit" Mother said motioning for Hige to come back to the table.

"Alright Hige, we heard Kiba's side in this now it's your turn, talk." Kevin said, now standing next to Mother. Both had their arms crossed.

Hige sighed. "Well after breakfast this morning, I went downtown and like Kiba said I was flirting. I uh…went up do one girl and uh after I…..said something to her…she slapped me…..then I said um….something else and she ….slapped me harder."

"What did you say?" Kevin asked.

Hige blushed. "…uh…."

"Well?" Mother asked

"Uh I'd rather not say…"

Kevin look over at his wife then back to his step sons. "Honey I think it's better that I talk to the boys alone, a little 'talk' to between boy and man might do these two some good."

She knew what he meant, and she agreed so with a nod she left.

"Alright boys neither one of you are in trouble this time but I think I would do you good if we had a talk, about what happened and a few other things."

"Why do I have to have a talkin' to? I didn't do nothing expect cover up the bruise."

"True , but you're only a year older than Hige and you'll both be dating soon so I think it's best that you both hear what I have to say" Kevin answered.

Both boys nodded. It was good that they were not in trouble but they knew the talk would not end here , next time they went to dad he'd likely have something to them as well.

Well some lessons are better learn the hard or in this case awkward way. That's just how it is.

**AN: hope you liked this chapter (it was long wasn't it?) Please review and thanks to all who have already reviewed.**


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